Special Session

July 11, 2003 at 12:56 PM CDT - Updated June 22 at 3:22 PM

July 11, 2003 - Posted at 8:54 a.m. CDT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Governor Huckabee says public education could suffer setbacks in a special legislative session if rural legislators make moves to limit executive power. Huckabee says about a bill that that would take away the governor's power to appoint the director of the state Department of Education and Education Board members.

Huckabee says such a move would hamper efforts to answer a state Supreme Court order to improve Arkansas public schools.

Huckabee says there is no point in calling a special session if he thinks the result would take the state further from the goal of meeting the court mandate.

A special session has been planned for September. But Huckabee still has the option of not calling the session. Rural school superintendents have been lining up to oppose reforms that include consolidation.